The Battle of Wuling City

Wu Pojun led his soldiers into hiding in the forest. None dared make the slightest sound. Everyone held their breath and focused. The Qian Kingdom's hidden sentries had been killed in the attack, and if too much time passed, the Qian army might notice. Several Selected Vanguard soldiers were already at the foot of the wall, pressed tightly against it with grappling hooks on their backs. They kept their eyes fixed on the top of the wall, waiting for the order to attack.

"Wall guards, first shift, change posts!" an officer shouted from the wall.

Now!

"Kill!" Wu Pojun roared. The army charged forward like a sharp sword cleaving the air. At the same time, the Selected Vanguard at the foot of the wall threw their grappling hooks and secured them to the top, then seized the ropes and climbed at breakneck speed.

The Qian Kingdom's guards at Wuling City reacted at the same moment.

"Enemy attack... sound the war drums and light the beacon, quickly!"

The sudden turn of events threw Wuling City's guards into some confusion. Some bent down to find cover, while others leaned out to look. Several soldiers who had just stuck their heads out were struck by arrows from the Selected Vanguard lying against the wall. They lost their balance and tumbled down!

"Don't show your heads! Archers and crossbowmen, ready!"

After the defending general issued several orders, the guards on the wall gradually regained their composure. They reached behind their backs for their powerful crossbows and loaded their bolts. Whistling sounds rang out incessantly as the missiles cut through the air.

Like sharp swords leaving their sheaths, they tore through the night and shot toward the ground below the wall. The Wu Kingdom's army surged forward like a roaring tsunami. Its battle cries shook the heavens, exerting an invisible pressure.

The Selected Vanguard truly were chosen one in ten thousand. Their bodies moved like flood dragons, agile as tigers. Gripping the ropes, they scaled the wall, dozens of meters high, in little time. They drew the curved blades from their waists and charged the guards on the wall like heavenly soldiers and divine generals.

The Selected Vanguard fell upon them like wolves among sheep. Their steel blades flashed with cold light, and every swing claimed a life. The wall descended into chaos once more, blood spraying and severed limbs tumbling. The archers and crossbowmen were ranged attackers; faced with this close-quarters assault, they had no power to resist. Heavy footsteps thudded closer as Wuling City's close-combat guards climbed onto the wall, steel blades in hand.

The Selected Vanguard did not linger in the fight. They fought their way down from the wall as they advanced. Their purpose this time was only to open the city gates and admit the army...

Below the wall, the Wu Kingdom's army shouted loud enough to shake the heavens. Above it, blood and flesh flew!

Boom, boom, boom... the muffled drums sounded rapid and forceful.

"The war drums at the gates are sounding! Someone's attacking the city! Wuling Guard, come with me to reinforce them..."

At the city lord's residence!

"Commander Cao, the Wu Kingdom has launched a night attack on our army. They're fighting our troops on the wall right now!" a guard reported to Commander Cao, kneeling on one knee.

"So fast. Do we know how many are attacking the city and who is commanding them?"

"Reporting to Commander Cao, it happened so suddenly, and the darkness has obstructed our view. The attackers have not been clearly identified! Our hidden sentries gave no warning either!"

"Dismissed! The hidden sentries have probably already met with disaster!"

"Commander Cao, the one commanding the troops below the wall must be Yan Fengxiao's foremost general, Wu Pojun. He excels at employing unconventional forces and favors surprise attacks."

"If it is him, there will be a fierce battle tonight! Commander Wan, send a large force to guard the gates. If the gates fall and the Wu Kingdom's army pours into Wuling City, our people will be in danger!"

"I obey!" Wan Que accepted the order and left the city lord's residence.

As reinforcements continued to arrive, the gate guards gradually went from defense to offense. The Selected Vanguard had fought for a long time without success, and their strength was gradually failing. The dozen or so men fought and retreated, with more of them being wounded.

Boom... Outside the wall, the Wu Kingdom's army had reached the gates. Their battering ram hammered against them with thunderous crashes.

On the wall, freed from the Selected Vanguard's harassment, ranks of soldiers drew their bows and shot at the Wu Kingdom's army. Arrows whistled through the air as ten thousand were loosed at once, pouring down like rain. Huge stones and beams were also pushed out to guard against any more enemy troops climbing the wall.

The gates boomed under the blows. On one side, the Wu Kingdom's troops struck them again and again; on the other, Qian Kingdom soldiers used their bodies to resist the impact of the battering ram!

Both sides' battle cries shook the heavens.

The people inside Wuling City had long since been jolted awake by the earthshaking shouts. They were in an uproar.

"The Wu Kingdom has broken in! Everyone, run!"

"Wu Kingdom soldiers are vicious by nature. They won't spare the old, the young, women, or children! Everyone, run for your lives!"

The sleeping residents had been scared out of their wits by the thunderous sounds of the siege and fled in all directions. Carriages, wheelbarrows, and fleeing residents crowded together... bundles, money, and grain lay scattered across the ground.

Wan Que arrived with his troops.

"Don't panic, don't panic..." How could the people fleeing for their lives hear him? They still ran and hid in every direction like headless flies.

"Men, clear these residents out of the way! Then head to the gates at once!"

Soldiers holding spears stood in a row and stopped the panicked civilians. Commander Wan led his men through and raced toward the gates...

"How is the situation?" Commander Wan asked, grabbing a captain.

"Reporting to Commander, enemy troops launched a surprise attack and entered the city, but our men have now killed them! The Wu Kingdom's army is still battering the gates!"

"Follow me up to the gate tower," Commander Wan said to the officers who had come with him.

Outside the wall, a dense black mass stretched all the way into the forest. Their battle cries shook the heavens, as though they meant to trample Wuling City flat. Those in front battered the gates, while those behind held shields to protect their archers. From the wall, huge stones, logs, and burning bundles rained down, while archers and crossbowmen kept firing. Both sides suffered casualties.

Cloud Mountain Fortress.

"Report! General Chen Haoran has arrived with a hundred thousand troops and is now stationed at Cloud Mountain Fortress!"

"Hmph, our army is already locked in battle with the enemy, yet that brat Chen has only just arrived. He inherited his father's position, but a tiger has sired a dog of a son after all."

"Report! General Yan, General Chen requests an audience!"

"Have him rest in the side hall. Whatever it is, we'll discuss it tomorrow."

"Yes..." The messenger accepted the order and withdrew.

"Brother Haoran, Brother Haoran, you've finally come! Generals Yan and Guo split their forces and marched ahead. I couldn't stop them!" On hearing that General Chen Haoran had arrived, Sima Heru hurried over at once. When he saw General Chen, he tearfully poured out his complaint.

"Brother Sima, I already know. I've come especially to pay General Yan a visit," Chen Haoran said, looking at the weeping Sima Heru.

After all, he was only a civil official. On hearing that splitting the forces might doom several hundred thousand troops, he had been unable to sleep for several nights.

"General, General Yan is discussing military affairs with his deputy. Please come back tomorrow!"

Hearing the messenger's words, Sima Heru could no longer sit still. "Come back tomorrow? We don't even know how many soldiers our Wu Kingdom's army will have left after tonight, yet General Yan tells us to come back tomorrow. Come back tomorrow, and all we'll be able to do is collect the officers' and soldiers' corpses!"

"Alas, Brother Sima, since General Yan is discussing military affairs, it would hardly be proper for us to disturb him. We'll do as the general wishes and come back tomorrow!"

"But..." Sima Heru wanted to say more, but Chen Haoran stopped him!

"Brother Sima, come on, let's go to my camp and have a good talk about old times. We haven't seen each other these past few days, and I've missed you greatly!"

"Brother Chen, you...?"

"Come on, come on." Chen Haoran put an arm around Sima Heru's shoulders and walked out the door.

As soon as the two had left General Yan's quarters, Sima Heru asked in puzzlement, "Brother Haoran, why was that?"

"Tell me, who led the troops to attack Wuling City?"

"General Yan's foremost battle general, Wu Pojun!"

"General Wu? That's good, then. Perhaps things aren't as bad as we imagined!"

"How so?"

"General Wu is cautious in leading troops and resourceful. Since he's attacking the city tonight, he must have made preparations! There's no need to worry!"

"What we should consider is how to deploy our forces if the attack fails. After tonight's battle, the Qian Kingdom will surely be on guard. Qixia City and Sunset City will be heavily defended. Achieving greater results will be easier said than done!"

"Then, Brother Chen, what do you think we should do?"

"Brother Sima, let's wait until news comes back from the front tomorrow before discussing it!"